Inflatable-tire protector.



C. E. MYERS.

INPLATABLE TIRE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1913.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

@vih/1 eme a E. MYERS, F DETROIT, MCHGT.

l'FLsTAlBLE-TIRE FROTEC'EOR.

Specicston of Letters Patent.

Fateiited Nov. il?, 1915A.

application lef. loveuiber 6, 1813. Sei-a! No. 79%),437.

part of This invention relates to pneumatic or inilatable tires for vehicle Wheels and par ticularly tc means for protecting such tires against liability to punctures, and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and ei'iicient reinforcement and puncture resisting,1 protector for insertion in the casing, and for the reception of the in flatuble air tube thereof, betweenV which and said casingr said protector is interposed. The format-ion ot' the protector being such as to dispose the air tuba at a considerable distance from the inner lwall oi"- the tread oi' the cas-ingr so to n'iinimize the liability or puncturiupr said inner tube tl rough the entering of sharp obstacles into the tread of casing, wherein the composition and construction or the protector is such as to afford a reinforcement to the Walls of the casing and to effect a yieldingr and pliable unison therewith in a manner not to impair the flexing qualities or resiliency of the tire. The above object is attained by the employment of the structure illustrated in the acompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional View through a tire casingr and its attaching rim showing the protector, together with the air tube also in section, slightly Withdrawn from the casing. Fig. Q is a vertical sectional View through the casing, rim, protector and inner tube, taken on dotted line 2-2 of Fig. Il.

`Referring' 'to the drawings by the characot reiter-ence marked thereon,

designatos the tire or easing `which is herein shown as attached to the rim 2 in a manner commonly employed tor attaching tires of f the clencherl type. 'The casing, however, or the method of attachment to the rim constitutes no part of the present invention, as the protector herein shown is applicable to all standard inalres of tire casings.

The protector, which will be referred to in general by the numeral 3, is a built-up structure comprising a body of sponge-like resilient material .forming a core l, and surrounding 'this resilient core, which is preferably elliptical in cross-section, and adapted to extend circumferentially of the protector with respect to the casing, is friction fabric covering composed of a` plurality of layers lying upon one another in the form of an endless fabric tube 5. Said coreJ with its fabric tube is then embedded in a. body of flexible resilient material 6 oi' a character similar to that of the coreal of the structure, the nature of which being such as to parme atc and adhere to the interstices of the fabric'tube. The structure thus formed is i'nterposed and confined between two or more layers of friction fabric 7 and 8, the layer of iabric 'i' passing; around and engaging the outermost contour of the body material 6 ol' the structure. While the fabric layer 8 lies in contact )vitli the inner contour of the resilient body formation, the marginal portions of the tivo fabrics meeting and joining each other upon opposite sides of the protector and extending around in the direction:

of the circumference transversely of said protector, the free edge 9 of one side terminating upon the inner face of the layer 8, while the free edge l0 of the fabric 8 overlappingr the edge 9 terminates upon the outer face of. the layer 'Z 'upon the opposite side of said protector, as shown in Fig. .1, in which view the terminal edges 9 and 10 are shown as slightly folded back from their respective meeting faces to avoid a confusion of lines, in order to better illustrate their overlapping relative to each other. The parts thus assembled, after beingr previously treated with a coating of suitable adhesive material upon their meeting aces,are subjected to pressure and heat treatment to cause the-*parts to adheroand unite in e liefe eiriera'oie com euri-nce of erieep 'l 4 eenen e ooserved ener eenien oodff suostence iis coni-rei poreiiis end poreions, and infer is eorreepondingiy n. einuous or manner odoce'tiie required eiefcil: in 'iie "fie body 'of protector Jieviire, inne insuring on'eoi with eine Contact between seid protecior and inner wail, proiecor Wiii be maintained in piece under pressure sucien, to insure ii; egeins: the endeney oi creeping Wiizhin she casing', While the marginal portions or termined edges of `the protector overlapping oooh o iier Wiii 'assist in holding Seid pro- '.guinsexpansion Wiiiin ehe casing,

ehu-e reiieving in measure the pressure of 4" e ruhe upon `eeid easing, and eiso rei forcing .Seid @using end protecting seid inner sube ,against ehe iiebiiizy of puneiure hrougii the eniering of objects obiiqueiy to the trees" The protector eieo serves to'prd reci e inner tube against biowing ourJ ehrougii Jhe treed portion of the casing o seid easing become torn. or out f eg: the 'Weii 4hereof The protector being il ue einpioyed witiii die easing Wiii no?, be sufog'ee'ed 'eo any eppreeieoie amount or weer and Sie reudiiy removed from e Worn easing and replaced for use in a new one, time enebiing seid proieotor 23o be re- ;oeeiedijf need with e number of casings.

Hoving time fuiiy sei; forth my invention, Whe." oy Leters Ferien@ ie: I

i. e tire, en outer easing having e reed portion, e protector contained within ne casing, seid proeetor comprising en neer ieyer of rough exibiemeeriei which eonecte with the inner surface of the casing 'iirougiiout the Whoie area thereof, en inner 'n'miin ehe outer ieyer in Contact Wiih oppo- .siee sldes iiiereo and spaced apart there from on tire side edjaoen the tread portion oi' ne'eesing, e resilient iexibie iliing for the Seid space between the layers, seid iiliing' being arched outwardly aiong its inner centred portion and inwerdiy et its end por- 'Lions' whereby the inner layer is normally correspondingly arched on the side adjacent tread portion or' the easing, e iexibie tuonier gue-rd embedded in the iiiiing, said guard being substantially eiliptieai in cross section and having its major'axis extending in said fiiiing ransverseiy of the tread portion of the tire, and an inflatable tube Within inner iayer of the protector. y

2. in e tire, en outer casing having a tread pori-ion, e 'proector contained Within the 'ee-sing, seid protecior comprising an outer iayer of 'tough iienioie material Wiiich contecrs with the 'inner surface of the casing throughout the Whole aree thereof and overiepped upon iis marginal sides, en inner ,or of tough fiexibie nieteriei contine'd Within the 'outer ieyer in contee?l with the overiepping marginal sides and spaced eport therefrom on the lside adjacent the iarend portion of ride casing, e resilient iexibie iiiing for the said space between the ieyers, seid i'iiiing being arched outwardly eong its inner central portion whereby `the e i' omini es new, and desi-re io secureleo inner laye? is normally eoreepondngy reversey arched im@ rendered ex'ensbe transversely oi ne reu portion of fue oasng, a ex'oe tabula? guard embedded in and lled with said ai` en guard being substantially epioal lo cross-section and having iis majo? as e dng tanexersey across the feed poron of the tire, and an In testimony whereof, I sign this specifi` cation in the presence o1" two mmessea CHAR-LES E. MYERS. Witnesses:

B. F. HEELER, M. E. BROESAMLE. 

